Instructions

ZOOM IN by clicking on the page. A slider will appear, allowing you to adjust your zoom level. Return to the original size by clicking on the page again.

MOVE the page around when zoomed in by dragging it.

ADJUST the zoom using the slider on the top right.

ZOOM OUT by clicking on the zoomed-in page.

SEARCH by entering text in the search field and click on "In This Issue" or "All Issues" to search the current issue or the archive of back issues
respectively.
.

PRINT by clicking on thumbnails to select pages, and then press the
print button.

SHARE this publication and page.

ROTATE PAGE allows you to turn pages 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise.Click on the page to return to the original orientation. To zoom in on a rotated page, return the page to its original orientation, zoom in, and
then rotate it again.

CONTENTS displays a table of sections with thumbnails and descriptions.

ALL PAGES displays thumbnails of every page in the issue. Click on
a page to jump.

IN REVIEW
NSW PUB MARKET
INCREDIBLY
BUOYANT
Veteran hotelier Arthur Laundy picked up two prized Sydney
venues in a spate of recent sales by the Medich family. Following
the $16 million sale of the Buena Vista hotel in Mosman, the
Medich-run Halcyon Hotels sold both the Woolwich Pier and the
Woolloomooloo Bay Hotel to the Laundy family for an estimated
combined price of $35 million. Meanwhile, after the sale of the
Newport Arms, the Bayfield Hotel Group purchased the Light
Brigade Hotel in Paddington from Dean Haritos of Haritos Hotels.
The total transaction volume of hotel sales in New South Wales
for the first half of 2015 is estimated at $600 million.
Woolwich Pier
OLGR CONDUCTS
SNOWY MOUNTAIN
CHECKS
The NSW Office
of Liquor, Gaming
& Racing (OLGR)
announced that it would
be conducting overt and
covert compliance checks
on licensed venues across
the Snowy Mountains
region over the course
of the winter ski season.
The majority of checks
were made in the
Jindabyne, Perisher and
Thredbo areas.
O’BRIEN GROUP SECURES
MELBOURNE LANDMARK
Australia’s largest family-owned venue management, hospitality and
leisure company snagged one of Melbourne’s most famed corner pubs
opposite Parliament House and the Hotel Windsor.The O’Brien Group
purchased the Imperial Hotel on Bourke Street for $11.45 million at
auction against active developers and overseas investors.
KINGS CROSS ICON CLOSES
Hugos Lounge was placed in voluntary administration after suffering
a 60 per cent drop in revenue since the lockout laws were introduced in
February 2014.
Research suggests that there has been an 80 per cent decrease in
foot traffic in Kings Cross from 2012 to 2014, and businesses in the
entertainment area have suffered.
The owner of Hugos Lounge, Dave Evans, has no doubt the lockout laws
are to blame for the difficulties the venue faced: “We said it would destroy
business, we said it would destroy staff, and here we are.”
JUN
2015
JUN
2015
JUL
2015
JUL
2015
AUSTRALIAN HOTELIER FEBRUARY 2016 | 9
THE SHEAF REVEALS FIRST
RENOVATION STAGE
The Sheaf, one of Solotel’s most iconic venues, unveiled its first stage of
redevelopments, with The Garden Bar opening to the public. The new
ground floor and outdoor bar was designed by Alexander & Co and features
exposed beams, leather lounges and solid wood table tops in among the
scattered greenery.
Bruce Solomon, CEO of Solotel said: “The Garden Bar has always been an
iconic part of The Sheaf. With this refurbishment we’ve brought a really strong
food focus and a fabulous intimacy to the area. The Sheaf has generations
of families coming to eat and enjoy the atmosphere, it’s an Eastern Suburbs
institution and this really is a fabulous update.
SURVEY HIGHLIGHTS FUTURE HOTEL CONCERNS
A 2015 Hospitality Insights report by corporate advisory firm Ferrier Hodgson highlighted that “the rosy future of the [hotel] industry was marred by three key factors”.
The report, which was based on a survey of over 240 hoteliers, listed ageing hotel operators, a lack of succession planning and significant concerns over
regulatory uncertainty as the main issues.
Report author Morgan Kelly said: “Nearly half the publicans surveyed have been in business for more than 21 years. Costs of entry, succession and the need
to innovate are emerging as big challenges for the future of the sector.”
At the same time, regulatory issues loomed large and uncertainty over legislation was the biggest concern of all for operators.